Just because something is new doesn’t mean it has to look new. Indeed, one of the great benefits of modern refurbishments is that they often offer a way to preserve historic sites. A fine example cropped up in Richmond-upon-Thames came up at the Star & Garter a few years ago; and in Oxfordshire, there's presently the example of Parklands Manor, near Besselsleigh.
The building was constructed in Victorian times as a manor house and school, but has now been converted into a variety of apartments and homes, on the market through Savills from around £415,000.
The properties are all brand new on the inside and benefit from the latest fittings and appliances, yet retain various period features from the original structure, such as fireplaces, windowsills and balconies.
Parklands Manor is surrounded by 23 acres of parkland, offering true rural comfort, but the development is well positioned and close to an array of charming villages, as well as being only 10 minutes from Oxford itself.
In Edinburgh, there's a similarly eye-catching building in an even more central location that has had the same sort of treatment. The Playfair building is one of the most recognisable in Edinburgh city centre and the former college now offers a variety of apartments within 16 acres of gardens and grounds only moments from Haymarket station.
Sale prices start at £275,000, but some of the more incredible apartments are going for far more: this penthouse suite, with a rooftop terrace that incorporates pillars and chimneys, has an asking price of £1.55 million.
The Victorian property, designed in the style of an Elizabethan palace, now conceals a variety of living and communal spaces that took three years of work by heritage developer City & Country to restore.
Apartments are a mix of the old and the new, with original windows, fireplaces and cornices working alongside modern kitchens and bathrooms, and come in various shapes and sizes, from studios to penthouse apartments.
Credit: Strutt and Parker
Best country houses for sale this week
An irresistible West Country cottage and a magnificent Cumbrian country house make our pick of the finest country houses for
Spectacular Scottish castles and estates for sale
A look at the finest castles, country houses and estates for sale in Scotland today.
-
Graham Norton's elegant East London home hits the market, and it's just as wonderful as you would expectThe four-bedroom home in Wapping should be studied for how well it uses two separate spaces to create a home of immense character and utility.
-
Sign of the times: In the age of the selfie, what’s happening to the humble autograph?When Ringo Starr announced that he was no longer going to sign anything, he kickstarted a celebrity movement that coincided with the advent of the camera phone and selfie. Rob Crossan asks whether, in today’s world, the selfie holds more clout than an autograph?
-
Graham Norton's elegant East London home hits the market, and it's just as wonderful as you would expect
The four-bedroom home in Wapping should be studied for how well it uses two separate spaces to create a home of immense character and utility.
-
About time: The fastest and slowest moving housing markets revealedNew research by Zoopla has shown where it's easy to sell and where it will take quite a while to find a buyer.
-
A wisteria clad hall built by one of the founders of the Bank of EnglandCome for the history of Old Hall. Stay for the interesting interiors.
-
A gorgeous Scottish cottage with contemporary interiors on the bonny banks of the River TayCarnliath on the edge of Strathtay is a delightful family home set in sensational scenery.
-
Six rural properties with space, charm and endless views, as seen in Country LifeWe take a look at some of the best houses to come to the market via Country Life in the past week.
-
380 acres and 90 bedrooms on the £25m private island being sold by one of Britain's top music producersStormzy, Rihanna and the Rolling Stones are just a part of the story at Osea Island, a dot on the map in the seas off Essex.
-
A home cinema, tasteful interiors and 65 acres of private parkland hidden in an unassuming lodge in KentNorth Lodge near Tonbridge may seem relatively simple, but there is a lot more than what meets the eye.
-
A rare opportunity to own a family home on Vanbrugh Terrace, one of London's finest streetsThis six-bedroom Victorian home sits right on the start line of the London Marathon, with easy access to Blackheath and Greenwich Park.
